The Snow Princess
by wynterarrow
Summary: Yuki, the nineteen year old Snow Princess of Calera, is sure that her homeland is safe from vampires. When Kaname, the handsome leader of the Vaux Altari vampire race, declares war on her to take her domain, she's willing to do anything to win.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTIRE ONE: THE SNOW PRINCESS OF CALERA

The soldier walked through the corridors, his leather shoes thudding softly on the tiled marble. The ceiling offered little respite from the bitter cold from the outdoors, and he was grateful for his thick vest. The entire castle was made out of icy white marble, designed to be camouflaged in the eternal winter snow.

"_Perhaps that was for our own good,"_ thought the soldier. _"We haven't been attacked or been bothered for over fourteen years."_

He nodded to a fellow soldier who was passing by, and gazed out of a window on a whim. A snowstorm was raging outside, and he noticed a shape lying outside on a snow pile. He squinted out the window, straining to see what it was, and curiosity finally gave in. He lit a torch, grabbed a sword, and headed outside. He struggled through the buffeting winds and the cold until he reached the figure.

The torchlight fell upon the unconscious shape of a man, his thick black cloak torn and rubbed thin in many patches. The guard noticed that he was hurt, and red splatters of blood covered the snow.

"_How is this man still alive?"_ he thought. _"He should be frozen to death—or is he already dead?"_

He reached out and turned the man over, and felt a faint but steady pulse in his neck. As his fingers brushed helplessly against the man's throat, he couldn't help but notice how cold his skin was. He dragged him indoors, and shut the door behind both of them. The soldier turned and shouted for help, and instantly four soldiers arrived and helped the man in.

They called for a doctor, and they gathered around him as the doctor cleaned the man's wounds and bandaged them.

"He'll live," said the doctor with a puzzled look on his face. "I don't how, but he'll live."

"Wait a second," said one of the soldiers. He looked at the man's face, and noticed that the edge of a sharp fang rested slightly outside of his mouth.

They watched in horror as the man opened his eyes, and they were scarlet-gold. He sat up, and they all backed away.

"Vampire," whispered one of them. One soldiers were trembling in fear, and he drew an anti-vampire gun from its holster. The vampire regarded the gun with contempt, then stretched languorously.

"Thank you for helping me," said the vampire. The soldiers all pressed against the walls, fearful of what would come next.

"Don't worry, I won't kill any of you—I'm just a messenger," he assured. He drew a creamy, thick scroll from his pocket and thrust it at one of them. A soldier caught it, and the vampire smiled. "It's for the snow princess," he said.

With a single leap, he flew through the door—and disappeared into the swirling snow.

"Princess Yuki," said a servant.

"Yes?" she turned, brushing her thick chocolate brown colored hair.

"A message from the Northern Crest." He bowed and gave her a scroll. She opened the main seal.

"What does the Vaux Altari want with me?" She broke the inner blood-red seal open and began reading it.

To the Snow Princess Yuki Cross of Calera,

We send our greetings from the Northern Crest. There is something of a great importance we must request from you: we are at war with Eastern Crest, and we need your castle. If you would kindly give it up to us, we will give you a large portion of our land. All we ask in return is your domain, Yuki. On the eve of the new moon, we expect an answer. It would be best if you replied promptly.

-Kaname Akatsuki

"Who does Akatsuki think he is?" She threw the scroll down, her pale brown eyes icy with anger. "I refuse. And tell the soldiers to prepare for war. We may be expecting them by the eve of the new moon. Go!"

"Listen to me, Zero, Cross is a nineteen year old princess. She has neither experience nor the wisdom to even run a kingdom. You cannot seriously take her commands to heart!"

The warrior strapped a sword to his back and ignored his friend's words. "She is our queen. I cannot ignore commands from her." He slid a gun into the hidden pocket of his vest.

"But… you know how the Vaux Altari are. They will tear us apart!"

"Maybe the princess has a plan."

"No, she does not! She doesn't care if we all die. I told you before, she has a heart of ice—she will force us to fight to the death against the Northern Crest."

He spun around and stared his friend down. "I will sacrifice my life for Princess Yuki."

"Alright… Fine, Zero— I'm not going to waste my words on you anymore."

Zero watched his friend storm off towards the barracks, and he shook his head and rallied the soldiers together.

"Princess Yuki, are you sure—"

"I am."

"And, are you sure—"

"I am."

From behind a changing screen, she donned a fur-lined cloak, a tunic, and thin plates of starsilk armor on her arms and legs. "I swore on my life that I would free this land from vampires." She tied her hair with a sturdy leather hair tie.

The maid bowed. "As you wish, Princess."

"Princess Yuki, we have lost half of our troops—"

"No matter! Keep fighting; we will protect this land at all costs!" Yuki wiped a thin stream of blood from her face, and her cheeks were flushed from fighting in the frigid air. She ran her blade along a patch of snow and charged yet again into the battle. Her warriors were struck down beside her, and she growled furiously, her hair flying loose from her helmet, and she barreled straight toward the main leader. She struck him down, and her silver sword flashed in the warmthless sun. As the vampire recovered and slashed furiously at her with outstretched claws, she danced back and parried the blow.

Her troop numbers were down to a couple hundred, and the vampires' attack seemed to still relentlessly batter away at her ranks. The survivors made a tight ring around the castle, and she led the front lines. As she sliced a vampire in half, she noticed the battleground had turned a bright red.

She stared at the ground, apparently lost in thought. "Blood..."

Something odd happened. The battlefield disappeared, and instead she was standing in another snow-covered land. There were thick evergreen trees on one side, and she was alone.

Wait.

A little girl came up behind her, crying with fear. Yuki automatically started toward the child, but her hand sank straight through the girl's shoulder. She gasped.

A vampire noticed that she was distracted, and charged at her. She didn't notice until she looked up and saw the vampire bearing down at her, and she crouched down and covered her face with her arm with terror—

A shining blade cut through the vampire, and the body dissipated into dust as she stared up in shock. Zero stood in front of her, and he offered her his hand. "Be careful, Princess." He pulled her up, brushed her fingertips with his lips, a look of deadly intent in his silvery gray eyes, then let go and ran back into the fray.

She stood there limply, staring at the commander's retreating back and composed herself. She assessed the situation. "I have no choice, then…" She whistled loudly once, and a wolf ran toward her.

"Yes, Princess Yuki?"

"I want you to warn the nearest kingdom and ask them for reinforcements."

"At once, milady." It rushed off faster than anyone could see.

They were down to the last hundred survivors when the reinforcements came.

Kaname's army was overwhelmed by new warriors of the nearby kingdom, and soon the vampires began to retreat.

As the vampires fled the battlefield, being chased by warriors on horseback, Kaname caught Yuki's eye. He picked up a white rose, held it to his lips, and bowed. He dropped it onto the ground with a final smile and vanished.

"Huh… So we need to?"

"Yes, Princess Yuki. We need new troops, and we've already finished the burial rites for the dead. Should we ask the Altean king for more troops?"

"Yes, yes. Do so, and also, prepare and fortify the castle. We may be expecting another attack soon."

Yuki gazed out of the mirror, where it was snowing again. It covered the red soaked battlefield, and she was strangely glad for the blanket of white. A white rose in a small bottle lay on the windowsill, and she walked over and watered it.

"Um, Princess Yuki? We also need to pay the Altean king with something."

"Hmm… Money." Yuki absently replied, not really paying attention to how idiotic her answer was.

"Yes, but how much?"

"Um… what about 2,000 bars of gold right now, and 6,000 after the war if we win?"

"That sounds good. Okay, we'll begin training in the lower rooms if you want to watch, and we will tell the Altean king." The messenger stepped out and closed the door behind him.

Yuki still stared out of the window, apparently lost in thought.

"Miss, I can heat up some soup if you like, for dinner."

"No, I'm not very hungry today."

"Um," her maid said, with a shy voice. "If you need to talk about something, I'm sure you can tell me."

Yuki turned in surprise. Even through all these years she had this maid serving her, she had never bothered asking about her well-being. "Oh, I'm fine, Sayori. Thank you. You may go."

Sayori bowed, blushing, and hurried out.

She resumed her position by the window, with her head resting on her arms. The crystal bottle that held the rose was beginning to frost up, and Yuki cupped the bottle with her hands in an effort to keep it warm. She carried the bottle over across to the flickering flames in the fireplace and sat there on the floor with the bottle in her hands. "I wonder why I kept it."

The flames reflected the bottle, and on impulse, she plucked a single petal from the rose and threw it into the fire. It caught fire and released a flowery smell.

She shifted the white folds of her nightgown around her, grabbed a thick blanket hanging down from the chair behind her, and leaned against the chair leg. The bottle twinkled innocently as she set it down near the fireplace, and she watched the flickering flames and fell asleep.

Wynterarrow: I know, Yuki is kinda… out of character, but this'll change (eventually!)


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the wait! This chapter is a little darker/angsty than the last, so younger readers, you have been warned!

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

Chapter Two: The Vaux Altari's Prince

Yuki slowly opened her eyes, stretching slightly as the folds of a thick blanket fell from her shoulders. It was pitch-dark, but she eventually realized that she had fallen asleep in front of the fire. It had already gone out, and she felt a cold chill go up her spine. As if the blanket was a barrier to anything that would harm her, she clutched it tighter around herself and slowly stood up. She walked blindly about in the dark, and fumbled for the light switch.

She bumped into something that shouldn't have been there, and she froze in complete terror and shrieked a little as she stumbled back, terrified out of her wits.

The moon finally slid out from behind the clouds, and she looked up, flinching as the light slid across a lithe form.

"I was wondering when you would wake up."

Pure terror raced across her body as she drew breath to scream, but the same person clamped a hand over her mouth. "My dear princess, I'm not going to hurt you."

Kaname Akatsuki smiled darkly from his place in front of Yuki's trembling form. "You are a strange one," he remarked, his eyes gleaming a rich, dark red. "A young princess, a rebel who cares nothing for her subjects except to fulfill her one wish—to kill all vampires—the same race that stood by and _laughed _as we tore your parents apart—"

"Stop," she whispered from behind his hand, moisture gathering in her eyes. "Please."

The prince simply brought his other hand up to touch her cheek, brushing her skin with more tenderness than she could've thought he was capable of. She flinched at the light touch, prickling uncomfortably as he brought his hand down to her neck. "If you promise not to scream or get help, I'll let go."

His voice was cold, and yet he smiled at her. A façade, she thought hatefully, the tears running down her cheeks in hot rivulets. She _hated _them. Images of her parents begging that _monster _to spare her, the memory of the iron-coppery taste and sight and smell of blood filling the air as she watched the only ones she ever loved bleed to death on a cold marble floor-

"Well?"

Anything to stop the memories. Anything. She nodded.

He withdrew his hold. She slumped to the ground, burying her face in the blanket. "State your purpose," she gasped between silent sobs, "For being here."

Kaname knelt in front of her, taking her face in his hands and tilting it farther up so her neck was exposed. "They say the bloodline of the Cross tastes the best," he said dismissively, ignoring her earlier demand. "I believe I could compare it to the wine you drink; it's much like the finest kind of blood that can be obtained from your kind. I've yet to try it, and I _am _quite thirsty…"

Yuki choked off an enraged exclamation, but fearing for her life, remained silent. Silent anger burned in her eyes. Her right hand slid towards a hidden silver dagger she always kept in a pouch around her waist.

Kaname seemed to be unaffected by her defiance. His finger was unconsciously tracing circles onto her pale neck, and his eyes flared a brighter red before dulling to the point of a muddled brown-crimson. "Fortunately for you, dear princess, I do not prey on children. It's not to my taste."

Her hand relaxed on its death grip on the dagger.

"I made a promise years ago that I would never allow vampires to get hold of this land!" Her courage had returned, and she furiously dashed away his hand and the tears. "And I am not a _child._"

At this, he laughed, a rich, alluring, low sound that reminded the princess of a cello, rising to his feet and leaning against her bedpost. "Whatever you say, my dear princess."

"Get out!" Yuki warned, careful not to raise her voice above a whisper. "I'll spare your life- for now."

He raised a single elegant eyebrow, features mockingly apprehensive. She was beginning to think he would comply when he cracked a smile. "You _are _naïve, my dear girl. You realize we could have just killed off everyone in the castle using our magic, and locked you all out to let you freeze to death?"

She opened her mouth and closed it a couple of times, shock evident in her eyes as she processed this information. "I wasn't aware," she said finally, drawing her knees up to her face, her fear half-forgotten as she glared up at him.

"Of course not. You're a nineteen year old princess. You probably don't know a thing about governing a kingdom." He sat down on her bed. "So."

"Why are you here?" she asked again.

He ignored her question. "You have no personal guards, nothing but a single commander for your army, and you keep exports and imports at minimal function. Many would be glad to trade all the riches in the world for Calera's famed Ice Crystals, and yet you refuse to keep more than six trading outposts open at a time. You have no elders nor Council to help you govern your kingdom either."

"You're not the one running _my _castle! I am! I know what's best, and it's annoying to have you trying to lecture me on how to do so!"

Kaname simply watched the irate princess, a thoughtful expression on his handsome features. "You hide your fear through anger and dismissal," he noted. "Cowardly, but effective." He watched, amused, as he served to rile the princess even further with his blunt but truthful observation.

"Bastard," she seethed, fear forgotten as she snatched the dagger from the pouch and flew at the apathetic prince.

There was a 'crack' as she was hurled violently to the ground, head smacking back onto the marbled part of the floor. Blinding pain rocketed through her head, and she instinctively sat up, one hand on her wound. A warm rivulet of what she instinctively knew was blood trickled through her hand.

Kaname was still by the bedside, one hand holding the dagger by its blade and the other posed in mid-snap. "I told you, didn't I? We can perform magic—and contrary to popular belief, purebloods cannot be harmed by silver."

Despair flooded through her veins, and she slumped forward, the dark liquid seeping through her hair and dripping onto the tiles with sickening 'splats.' "Kill me then you bastard," she whispered, shaking uncontrollably. "Kill me but leave Calera alone."

He didn't move.

"KILL ME!" She screamed, pounding the tiles in a blinding rage. "I DON'T DESERVE THIS!"

_They were laughing again, perfect features that had been schooled carefully to charm and deceive and kill all laughing openly at her misery, her god-forsaken parents tortured, beaten, bleeding, dying, dead, gone—_

The door to her room flew open, smashing into the wall, and the lights flickered on. Countless guards flooded into the room, shouting orders to seal the castle. Kaname's image flickered and disappeared, and suddenly, something was by her side.

"_Seven days from now, the Eastern Crest will attack. I will visit again. Don't disappoint me, milady." _

Something silky-soft was pressed into her hand and Yuki automatically knew it was one of Kaname's roses. Then the prince was gone, off into the swirling winter night. The guards were shouting hysterically, and a particularly notable one with pale lavender eyes did nothing but glance at the princess.

Sayori was by her side, coaxing the stunned princess into sitting up, a soft cloth pressed into her wound.

The Snow Princess of Calera had only time to catch a glimpse of an open window, velvet drapes fluttering wildly in the wind, snowflakes, and red, red petals of blood staining the room before she slipped into blessed darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: This is an extremely short chapter introducing Zero and Ryuu's roles and take on the attack. Ryuu is the friend mentioned in the first chapter. He is a minor OC, so don't worry about him playing too much of a major role in this story.

CHAPTER THREE: The Knight of Calera

Only a true blade can be drawn from its sheath without making even the slightest whisper of sound. Even then, the wielder must be skilled and well-versed in their ability to fight with a sword.

Another rule of swordsmanship is that your blade must be named upon the moment it chooses you. Once it is named, only then can you use it to its full potential.

His sword's name was Souhi.

Souhi stood for the ice that surrounded the land he protected. Souhi for the lives he had taken; Souhi for the own unbreakable ice in his heart.

He clenched the hilt in his hand, feeling the carved metal bite into his hand, and effortlessly raised Souhi to his side.

Ryuu, his subordinate, second-in-command, and best friend, faced him, holding a standard-issue steel sword. His red eyes (due to the Lyriann blood that ran in his veins) glinted in the bright lights of the training room. Normally, a half-smile would be evident in his features, but this sparring session Ryuu was emotionless, mirroring the Commander's own stance.

Today, both men were deadly serious. The tension that ran in the room felt like it could be cut with a knife. They circled one another, never breaking eye contact, and with a whirl of silver and black, Souhi struck. Ryuu slid back heavily against the sheer force of Zero's blow , then parried with a screech and a sunburst of sparks.

The two blades smashed against one another, and they would whirl so closely together that both could actually feel the heat radiating from the white-hot blades. Ryuu flicked his sword downwards, forcing Zero's grip on Souhi to weaken, and brought the steel sword down on his temporarily unguarded shoulder. There was another screech of metal on metal, and Zero lashed back, pale lavender eyes flaring with an emotion the Lyriann couldn't seem to discern.

Nevertheless, Ryuu gathered his wits and matched his commander strike for strike, the muscles in his whole body straining to keep the sword in his hand. Perspiration dripped off the side of his coffee colored skin, and he steeled himself for the next blow. As a particularly deadly sweep of Souhi nearly took his head off, forcing him to duck and roll to the side, he wondered if Zero was losing it.

Earlier in the afternoon, he had received a message from Zero to meet him in the main training room and to bring only a sword. The entire castle was still shaken from the sudden appearance of Prince Kaname, and even more so with the Princess's injuries: Zero should have been preoccupied by the security measures and paperwork he would be swamped with.

On the subject of Princess Yuki, she was still asleep, and a fever that refused to break had the castle physicians scrambling to find a cure.

What Zero intended to do by sparring, Ryuu still didn't know, but he hoped it'd help settle his Commander's conflicting emotions.

He was thrown violently to the side as Zero locked hilts, attempting yet again to disarm him, but Ryuu recovered and stepped back, well out of Souhi's reach.

Zero could sense that his second-in-command was tiring but refused to take advantage of it, instead choosing to throw a series of superhumanly fast back-slashes and undercuts at Ryuu's arms.

One of the slashes caught the edge of his sword arm and ripped a deep cut through the muscle, rendering him unable to move. The sword clattered to the ground, and Ryuu's eyes betrayed a quick flash of shock before the crimson liquid began cascading in ribbons around the sword.

Zero was panting heavily, light colored bangs plastered across his head, and Souhi shook in his hand. His eyes were wide with panic. "I apologize."

Ryuu was already standing, a piece of his shirt wrapped around the wound. "I hope you got whatever was bothering you out of your head." He jerked reflexively as he pressed a hand around the sword wound, stopping the flow of blood. The Lyriann crossed the room to the benches, picking up a darkly colored visor and placing it over his eyes. The sword was placed back into the racks, and Ryuu headed for the door.

"Wait," Zero called, Souhi still in his grasp. The SIC paused, tensing as Zero placed a single hand over the wound, pale fingers tracing the clean cut. Within a second, the wound slowly closed by itself under Zero's fingers. "I apologize," he repeated.

The Lyriann looked up into Zero's eyes; with the visor, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. After a few seconds, the visor seemed to dim with acknowledgement, then with a whirl of midnight fabric, he swirled his cloak over his shoulders and slipped past the doorway.

Zero was left alone in the training room, Souhi still dripping blood onto the floor.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Almost no reviews! C'mon guys, I know the story is kinda slow-paced at times, but corresponding with the number of readers, there are very little reviews.

Don't take this wrong; I don't want to beg for reviews like a bitch, but I spend a lot of time making sure each chapter is up to scratch before I post it, and I want to know if people want me to continue writing or not. Feedback is always appreciated; tell me if you love it, hate it, whatever. Just try not to go full-out flame on me 'kay?

Oh, and thanks to all the people who review, favorite, etc. You all keep this story going :)

CHAPTER FOUR: HER STORY BEGINS

Her dreams that night were filled with blood.

_What is pure snow? _A small child asked in her dream. She had an innocent face, and yet her voice was that of someone who'd seen countless murders and unforgivable crimes committed in front of her. Her hair streamed out behind her as a breeze blew across her snow coat.

_It's something that isn't red, _she replied.

_What is… something that is red? _

_Blood._

Yuki turned away from the child, who had fallen silent, and saw Calera in front of her. The snow had fallen, and the marks from the battle were gone.

It was, after all, simply a battle against her enemies. She clenched her fists. _I will not fail Calera. I will avenge my parents' deaths and my suffering._

Something brushed against her cheek and fell into her ungloved hand. It was a white petal, she noticed, before the wind carried it far, far away from her.

She noted with dull interest that she was dressed in a thin white evening gown, causing her to blend in with her surroundings. Despite the freezing wind and the snow that should have been cold, she felt nothing except for the emptiness around her.

Something lay in her left hand, and she looked down. A darkly colored rose, this time a rich wine crimson, pricked the end of her finger. She watched a slow drop of red stain the snow she was standing on.

The little girl spoke up, and Yuki quickly turned, having forgotten she was there.

_Does that destroy the snow? _She made a gesture towards the brilliant crimson liquid falling to the snow like tears.

_No. _Her heart stilled as she looked past the child and saw a smiling, perfect-featured man in front of her. _That is one who destroys the snow._

_Will he hurt us?_

Without preamble, Yuki answered, _Yes. _

The man reached for her, forever smiling, razor-sharp fangs gleaming in the pale light, when she finally woke.

-_The Snow Princess-_

He was interested in her.

No, to be precise, it was her vehement hatred of vampires that fascinated him; her empty threats were amusing, but the fire in her eyes drew him to her. She was, after all, a _Cross, _descended from a family of hunters and vampires that had defied their natural instincts: The hunters for their innate knowledge of how to kill a vampire, and for the vampires, the all-consuming thirst for fresh blood.

It was laughable to think that a deadlier creature than a human could be brought to love a human, and an enemy at that, but it was possible.

The Cross bloodline was old; the ancient texts he kept locked away in his private library hinted that they had existed even when the vampires had been born.

Somewhere in the Princess's veins was the blood of a vampire, and he was determined to find it.

Her blood was addicting: It took much of his self-control to refrain from biting her when he paid her a short visit.

It would be a pity to kill her, Kaname reflected, idly tracing his glass of blood. She was beautiful, even by vampiric standards, and she had an inner force that would be hard to crush. She would resist of course; the dagger that she had attempted to cut him with was one example, but it would be a waste to destroy her soul.

Extinguishing her life would be all too easy; human flesh was silkily soft, and he still remembered her fearful shivering but defiant words, the touch of her neck and the warmth and pulse of her heart. He could easily crush her with one hand, ending her pitiful excuse for a reign.

He was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Seiren in front of him, bowing gracefully, her skin a pale hue in the soft moonlight. "The Eastern Crest is on the move," she says quietly, but he can see the tense look in her eyes. "Rido Kuran will be here by midnight."

He doesn't answer but instead studies Seiren, beckoning her closer. She does so, wordlessly moving forward until the desk is the only barrier between him and his most loyal follower. "And what does he propose, Seiren?" Kaname stands taller than her, picking up two of his knights from his chessboard. "Will he try to crush me now?"

She doesn't move as he presses a crystal knight into her hands. "Take it to him. Tell him that if he tries to attack tonight, he will lose his precious son." Kaname's eyes are dark with anger. "Senri Shiki will suffer for his mistake."

"With all due respect, sir," Seiren replies without looking at Kaname, "Senri has been missing for over a month."

"He is mine," Kaname all but purrs lowly into her ear, eyes glowing a malevolent red. "They belong to me. Tell him that, won't you, Seiren?"

She shudders, but only slightly as he places an ice-cold finger on her neck. "You will remain loyal to me, Seiren."

Seiren simply bows again, her expression blank. "Yes, my lord."

She vanishes without another word.

-_The Snow Princess-_

Yuki, to simply put it, was furious. Physically, she was fine, save for the wound on the back of her head. The fever had broken by itself, much to the physicians' relief, and she was simply itching to get out of the medbay.

Her personal doctor had refused (_"With all due respect, my lady, you mustn't leave until you heal) _and it escalated into a raised-voice/shouting match (Yuki was the one doing all the yelling.)

It ended when the doctor pronounced her unfit for her duty and appointed her second-in-command for temporary acting ruler of Calera. In other words, the Commander of her army, some half-wit called Zero Kiryu, was in charge of Calera until she was allowed to leave her sickbed.

Sayori was sleeping in the chair next to her bed, her auburn curls draped haphazardly across her head, not to mention the fact that she was still in her nightgown.

Yuki leaned back on the pillows and sighed, thinking about Kaname's sudden appearance. It was the first time she'd been that close to him, and she found herself unwillingly captivated by his voice.

Seeing him brought back the unpleasant memories of her past (_her parents,) _her mind unhelpfully supplied, _(killed in front of her eyes…) _

She was jerked out of her thoughts when the door opened to admit (_what a coincidence, _she thought wryly, _here he is_) Zero. His pale lavender eyes rested on her, and he drew closer. "My lady," he said quietly as so to not disturb the still-sleeping Sayori, bowing deeply. "I offer my apologies. There was an impression that you were… displeased with the current arrangement, and I made visiting you my first priority. However, your safety comes first to us, Princess. We would rather die than leave you in danger."

Great. Another person who thought that she was simply a child with Calera at her disposal. She gritted her teeth. "That is most kind of you," was all she could say.

She studied him. He was a handsome man, a bit pale and slim for someone of his stature, but he looked tense, and some underlying pain lines and cold eyes that hid secrets too well showed visibly on his face. She sighed again, straightening against her pillows. Dealing with the military had never been her greatest skill—she had caused more than one fight with her sharp tongue and cold demeanor. "At ease, Commander Kiryu."

At her words, he visibly relaxed, his clasped hands behind his back coming to rest at his sides.

For no reason, she felt that he meant no insult when he said he was to protect her, and that he truly meant it. "Sit."

Zero obediently sat back onto the neighboring bed, one hand on the linen sheets. "If I may ask," he began hesitantly, "what was he like?"

Yuki turned her head and looked at him, surprised. "He was… cold," she replied after a moment's thought. "He acted like a pureblood. Noble, dignified, but all the same, cruel."

He shifted, brushing pale hair back from his forehead. For the first time, she sees pain in those empty eyes, then it's gone as quickly as it came. "There's something about them," he says casually, but she can still hear and see that feather-light touch of something deeper in his movements—"their false kindness. It makes you want to tear them apart, to see their perfect control slip and for a moment know that they're little more than animals with a human disguise."

She stares, surprised. He carries the same bitterness within him as she does, and it sparks a slight peak of interest in her. "I agree with you," she half-says, half-whispers.

He gives her a small smile, and she finds herself talking with him for hours before he's called away.

When he leaves, she feels emptier. Sayori, who has long since awakened, brings her a dose of medication and she takes it without protest.

Before she knows it, she slips into dreamless sleep.

Ending A/N:

In the Vampire Knight manga universe, Shiki is Rido Kuran's son. Just to clear some stuff up.

The pairings:

Shiki and Rima Touya

Yuki and Zero

Haruka and Juri Kuran

Onesided Juri and Rido Kuran

Feel free to request any other pairings!


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Hey everyone, thanks for reviewing! I owe it all to you guys. About the little AN in the last chapter—I didn't mean any offense to anyone; I just wanted to know everyone's opinions and feedback. I'm sorry if it offended anyone!

Yes, almost everyone in the Vampire Knight Storyline will be in this fic. It'll take a while for them all to be introduced. Oh, Slinny xo, yes, I made a mistake: it's Kaname Kuran.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

Chapter Five: Playing with Fire

"Good evening, Rima."

She dropped the book she was holding to the floor, tilting her head towards the speaker. Her black dress, decorated with a silver-and-periwinkle laced edge, rustled as she shifted to reach for a white box. "Kain." Empty boxes of chocolate littered the table she was sitting on, and she didn't move as he moved one of the boxes disdainfully with his foot.

"Don't you think this is a bit much?" He retreated to the couch in the corner, glancing warily at the boxes at his feet. "Kaname wouldn't approve."

Rima responded by taking a large bite out of said food, chewing with a deadpan expression on her face. Kain shrugged. Both turned towards Ruka when she spoke, an elegantly disgusted tone laced with her words: "She's been eating them all night."

Rima ignored Ruka, steadily eating her way through another box.

Kain raised his eyebrows, glancing out the window as a dark shadow interrupted the moonlight streaming through the drapes. "It seems that Kaname isn't going to stand another attack tonight."

"Seiren?" Ruka asked with interest, setting aside a goblet. "I still don't understand what leverage _Lord _Kaname has against Rido, but it must be something powerful if it keeps him from attacking us."

Kain looked straight at the striking pale-eyed vampire, a dark look in his eyes. "Believe me," he said in a low voice, "he has the edge in this war."

The empty chocolate box thudded to the ground, catching both their attentions, and Rima glanced at her right hand. A single ice crystal lay in her palm before melting, and she leapt to the marble floor with a 'clack.'

Akatsuki and Ruka stared as Rima left without another word, noiselessly disappearing through the door. "Hanabusa did always have a flair for the dramatic."

Ruka nodded her agreement, chocolate eyes narrowing as she picked her goblet back up and raised it to her lips.

_-Vampire Knight-_

The fiery orange-headed vampire seemingly flew down the hallways and the stairways like a shadow, electric-blue eyes unblinking as she passed by other Northern Crest vampires. The darkness intensified as she went deeper into the castle, prompting her to use an electrical charge to light her way.

Rima stopped in front of a set of heavy, forbidding doors and pressed her palm to the doorknob. "Hanabusa," she said quietly.

A sudden click allowed her entry into a flame-lit room. In sharp contrast to the outside corridor, it was an ornately designed windowless room, with heavy black accents running along the edges of the room. Even stranger was a luxurious four-poster bed taking up most of the space.

Engraved on the floor was a strange silver seal; it ran through the room and centered around the edges.

Aido stood in the corner, speaking in a whisper. "He's asleep," he said, sky blue eyes darting towards the bed. "Don't provoke him or it'll cause the restraining seal to activate the curse."

Rima came closer, her soft curves of her dress catching the light. A spark of interest lingered in her eyes as she stood next to Aido. "This is why Rido won't attack," she said softly, a tone of wonderment in her voice. "It's because Kaname captured his son…"

"Precisely," Aido said. "He's a bargaining chip. It's not like I approve," he continued in a lower pitch, "but it does keep a temporary peace."

Rima drew closer; Aido turned to go. "It's your first time guarding him," he said, a look of warning in his normally placid features. "So I'll give you this. Don't—mess—up. Not only has Kaname trusted you enough to let you know that Senri is here, but if you let him escape, you'll only cause the War to come sooner. If that happens, that human princess will die, and he'll kill you- none too quickly."

"I'll be careful," she interrupted, still gazing at the sleeping form of Senri Shiki. "Don't worry."

Aido raised a single eyebrow and left, shutting the door behind him. As the lock clicked shut once again, the frame glowed and disappeared.

In sleep, Shiki looked like a porcelain doll, too-pale vampire skin only made more startling in contrast to his raven colored hair. He wore a simple black long-sleeved shirt and dark gray pants, a bit too large for his slight frame. The silver marks of Kaname's curse ran along his neck, cruelly carved there with a knife—she could still smell the blood in the air. The soft angles of his body caught the fine glow of fire, and she was instantly captivated.

Rima cursed softly as she turned to the side, ashamed at the sudden surge of foreign emotion running through her thoughts. He was Rido Kuran's son, she reminded herself, as she strode to the chair in the corner. She could not harbor any feelings for him, not to mention _love. _She was higher than this, she said inwardly. He was just another prisoner, a bird kept in an ornate cage.

And for a moment, she believed herself.

-End-

Ugh, how cliché of me to write this.

I apologize for such a short chapter, but it's just a slight introduction for the other vampires. Other chapters featuring the others will follow between the plot-based chapters, so please be patient! Thanks!

And as always, you are free to leave a PM, leave a review, anything to let me know how I'm doing and any other suggestions.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Another filler chapter, I'm afraid, but it has bits of the plot continuation. I'm going to be leaving for Taiwan in a week, so I'm posting this during the time I'm gone. Thank God school's over!

A really dark, graphic description of Rido feeding on a human hunter as well as adult implications in this chapter featured. You have been warned.

Pairings: (feel free to request more if you wish; however, some I will not reveal as they're crucial to the plot.)

Shiki and Rima Touya

Yuki and Zero (possible Kaname… as there have been requests)

Haruka and Juri Kuran

Past onesided Rido Kuran and Juri

Rido Kuran and Shizuka Hio

Ruka and Kain Akatsuki

Onesided Kaname and Sara Shirabuki

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

Chapter Six: In Which He Makes a Mistake

Warm blood ran down his mouth as he drank deeply from the human's neck, reveling in the lull of bitter need to feed. The woman, a platinum haired beauty, struggled weakly as she dug her nails into his shoulders in a last-ditch attempt to force him to let go.

He could feel the thick, overpowering, suffocating fear the woman was currently emanating and he took perverse satisfaction in devouring the last reserves of her strength. He bit deeper; smirking darkly when she let out a strangled cry of pain as he ruthlessly pushed her against the wall, hungrily lapping at the life seeping out of her. He felt her shudder one last time before falling limp, a powerful force snapping as she died. He caught the dying glare of revenge in her storm-gray eyes before he let go, her empty body slumping to the floor.

He studied her wiry form, admiring the way the remains of blood adorned her pale skin in death. She would have made an excellent vampire had it not been for his impatience to quench his thirst.

"Oh, my."

Without turning around he caught the whiff of sakura blossoms and a familiar icy aura slowly infusing the air. "Shizuka." He licked the remains of the blood off of his lips, turning away from the body on the floor. She came closer, the pale blue-and-white kimono trailing delicately behind her, eyes fixed on the woman. The telltale anti-vampire weapons were scattered around her body, and the pureblood's perfect features were suddenly cut with a slight frown.

A fringe of snow-white hair so straight it could have been cut by a laser was swept over a graceful shoulder. Her unusually pink-violet eyes darkened to a rich crimson as she surveyed Rido. "It is most unwise of you to devour a Hunter, especially one so treasured in the Altean Kingdom." She reached a swan-white hand out and slid the woman's eyes closed. As she turned away, a slight chime of a bell reached Rido's ears.

With a single fluid move, he reached out and grasped her wrist tightly, spinning her towards him. His hand found the bell entwined into her hair, and he examined it with slight interest. "I hadn't seen this before."

She glanced impassively into his color mismatched eyes, a flash of ice in her features. "Does it concern you?"

The corner of his lips twitched with a derisive smile. "My dear Shizuka, must you answer me with such ire?" he asked in a purr, voice as smooth as silk. He tightened his grip on her wrist and let go of the bell, instead sliding his hand down to her waist. His eyes darkened once more as he traced her slender neck with his lips, feeling the steady thrum of blood below the fragile skin.

Shizuka's eyes flashed with hate as he bit down. "You greedy bastard," she whispered as he drank even deeper. Even as she spoke the malediction, Rido clasped her tighter to his own frame.

"Ah, but you know that I am the only, _only _one who would willingly love such a flawed pureblood," he replied, smiling once more as he backed them away from the dead Hunter and onto the bed in the corner. Disentangling his hold on her neck, he brutally ripped the silver bell from her snowy hair and flung it across the room. Her eyes darted towards it before he roughly seized her shoulders, blocking her view of the bell.

The bell chimed dissonantly as it struck the opposite wall and fell to the floor, a lonely, longing sound.

_-The Snow Princess-_

Seiren looked up at the castle looming in the darkness of the night, illuminated only by the harsh sliver of a crescent moon.

The snow fell gently against her body, tiny pinpricks of coldness where they landed. The chess piece, hidden in a compartment in her coat, pressed heavily against her side, a reminder of why she was there to serve.

It was freezing, well below a temperature tolerable for humans, but she was long used to it. Far off in the distance, the mournful howl of a wolf carried on the icy wind. She stayed still for an indeterminate amount of time, observing her surroundings from her perch in the branches of a tall evergreen tree. The castle, to the untrained eye, appeared unguarded and vacant, but she caught the faint shadows of the magical barriers and the unmistakable glow in some of the windows.

She leapt from the branch, careful not to send any snow or evergreen needles to the ground. As she neared the castle, she deftly sprang from another tree to the castle wall itself. A ledge provided the balance she needed to scale the exterior, sure and practiced movements granting her the speed she used to avoid detection.

There was a window that she came to, and she gave it a tap with a pendant chained around her neck. The glass rippled, as if she had dropped a stone into the center of a pond, and she quickly slid into the castle. Warmth enveloped her body as she resealed the window.

She had landed in a spare room, furnished with the barest essentials, and she exited the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Kaname had sent her on countless missions to the Eastern Crest castle to memorize the layout, to observe the other vampires' interactions with one another, and most importantly, to find information on Rido's next move in the War.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd gone a week without another trip to Rido's castle, she reflected as she hid in the shadows to avoid a single vampire striding down the hall.

The brightly lit staircase she avoided was deserted, but she still skirted around that particular room to move aside a grate in the wall. Climbing into the narrow tube, hooking the vent cover back into place with her foot, she continued noiselessly into a T-shaped bend in the ventilating. She chose to go left, her eyes gleaming brightly as she tensed.

Footsteps passed by below her and she held her breath, not daring to move in order to reduce risk of being detected.

A few minutes passed before a door creaked shut, and she continued forward—she was almost to Rido's quarters—when her elbow, previously resting on a piece of the shaft, broke through the weakening metal. A bolt flew off into the air and she pitched forward onto the floor. Almost as quickly as she had fallen, she broke her descent with a roll and instantly crouched into a defensive position, hands in front of her, ready to strike.

There was a flash of silvery-white and she reeled back to avoid the strike of an inky raven, razor-sharp talons coming far too close to her eyes for her liking. Rolling to the right, she struck out with her left hand, connecting with the bird's chest and crushing it to the floor. It vanished with a wisp of smoke and she leapt back to see a wide-eyed vampire girl, recovering from the surprise and a chilling smile replacing the frown on her lips.

The girl looked uncannily like a younger version of Shizuka Hio, albeit the cherry blossoms, and she made a lightning-quick motion with her hand.

Another wispy raven began to materialize, and Seiren flicked the pendant at it. It immediately dissipated under the shimmering presence of the opaque necklace, and she dropped to the floor and swept out with her legs, catching the younger Hio off guard. The girl fell hard, and she took the opportunity to deliver a crushing hit to her chest.

She choked for air, eyes flashing with distress, and was rendered unconscious with another blow from Seiren to her head. Her hair lay around her like spilled silk, and Seiren quickly retrieved the pendant, folded the chess piece into the unconscious vampire's hand, and slipped outside.

She'd made a mistake, something Kaname would surely punish her for—the chess knight was clearly meant for Rido and Rido only. If she stayed a moment longer, she would have been captured, but the alternative was far more logical than the other. Seiren abandoned all attempt to hide and openly flew down the corridors, startling more than a few vampires in her way. She avoided what looked like daggers thrown at her by a deadly-looking woman, flipping up and over into the ceiling and using the pendant to escape once more.

She didn't stop until she reached the Kaname's castle, heart pounding with the sheer speed by which she was running.

Kaname waited for her in the study, suddenly cold and calculating as she reported what she had done.

"We'll wait and see what happens," was his only comment before dismissing her. As she bowed and left, she couldn't help but think that he'd spared her simply to see her suffer later.

-_The Snow Princess-_

How she came to be entangled in this mess, she didn't know, but what she did understand was that if she didn't manage to subdue Senri, she'd be killed.

Rima jumped to the side to avoid the whip that smashed into the wall, leaving a large scar in the room. The furniture was already demolished, bits and pieces of sharp edges scattered around the room. Snapping her fingers and sending an electrical spark to distract him, she vaulted over the bed and slammed Shiki against the floor with enough force to cause something to crack.

"I thought the seal would activate," she said slowly, jewel blue eyes narrow with disbelief. His throat felt cold against her bare hand, and he shifted his head painfully, a look of fury evident in his eyes.

"Only if I have ill-intent," he snarled, a low undercurrent of anger in his voice. "I don't care if you live or die."

"As if that explains anything," she said quietly, gripping his shirt and lifting him to his feet. He was far too light for his stature, and she forcefully propelled him back into the center of the seal. His scathing glare was lost on Rima, who didn't even flinch as she impassively stared right back.

She watched as he rapidly composed himself, chocolate eyes schooling themselves back to a vacant glare and features returning to indifference. He was obviously sulking, she observed as he curled up into a ball on the bed, a single arm wrapped around his chest. She'd broken one or two ribs during that last move.

There was silence, save for the crackling of the fire, and she finally spoke as she was in the middle of restoring what she could of the room. "How did he capture you?"

He winced as he turned in her direction, moodily deciding whether or not to reply. She resumed re-sewing a wall tapestry back together with a makeshift needle made of a splinter of glass and thread from the frayed edge of a bed curtain.

"I was careless," he said in a rough voice, feline eyes fixed on his knees.

Rima shrugged, unable to remain silent even though she knew that he didn't want to talk. "Careless how?"

His countenance darkened, but his expression remained aloof. "None of your concern."

She checked the miraculously unscathed clock. Four more hours stuck with him. She sighed and set aside the tapestry, coming closer to Shiki. He watched her warily, shrinking back as she reached out for his arm. "Let me see."

He shook his head, a baleful expression on his face. "No."

She made a frustrated noise and climbed onto the bed, staring him straight in the face. "I swear I won't hurt you."

Shiki held her gaze, and she was just about to turn away when he relinquished, holding out his arm.

"_Score: 1 for me," _she thought as she took his forearm in her hands, gently pressing against the bone until she heard him hiss and tense. She passed her hand over his forearm, a slight spark jumping from her hand to his body, shining with a luminescent glow until she took her hand away. When he reached back and flexed it experimentally, he glanced up at her with an unreadable expression.

"Why?"

She chose not to answer, instead opting to place her hand over his chest, healing that too. She could feel his ribs, far too bony to be healthy, and asked, "How long since you've been fed?"

He glanced away, remaining silent.

She didn't press him for an answer, and returned to the tapestry. She stayed there until Hanabusa came to take her place. He only glanced around in mild interest as he saw the half-mended room, Shiki lying across the bed, asleep, and nodded a quick greeting to Rima before she left.

"How did it go?" Aido asked a bit too brightly from his leisurely sprawl on the couch in his room.

Rima glanced out the window. Almost dawn. "It seems that Lord Kaname's bargaining chip worked."

Aido shared a secretive smile with her, sauntering next to her and glancing outside at the still-snowing land. "That well, huh?"

She glanced at him, annoyed. "Of course."

He turned to face her, a look of wicked glee on his features. He placed a hand on her shoulder, a brash, wide smile on his lips. "Who's removed that stick up your behind, Rima? Surely not Shiki?"

As response, she stepped well out of the view of the window and flung open the curtains to let Aido take the full brunt of the first rays of the sun. He yowled with displeasure, the sunlight visibly causing his pale skin to flush, and he yanked the drapes closed, growling with mock anger at her. She ignored him and stalked out of the room.

Aido only stared after her, then collapsed onto the couch, smiling. "It seems he did."

-End-

Haha, I just had to add that end part. I could imagine Rima doing that if Aido pissed her off enough!

Also, note: Shizuka isn't being taken advantage of; she could have the power to kill Rido if she wished to. She knows that what he said really is true, so she is unwilling to be alone.


End file.
